Chris Stewart
Dayton Daily News
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Past articles by Chris:
Nearly half of county’s COVID-19 aid to pay front-line salaries
Roughly $47.5 million — or 46% — of Montgomery County’s $103 million American Rescue Plan Act allocation is earmarked to pay the salaries of eligible front-line public safety and health workers, according to a county spending proposal for the COVID-19 relief. → Read More
Elimination of RTA routes angers seniors, riders with disabilities
Due to a shortage of bus drivers, the temporary elimination of several Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority routes designed to transport seniors and those with disabilities. → Read More
Commissioners vote today on massive trash compactor
Montgomery County commissioners are on the verge of purchasing a mammoth $1.7 million trash compactor. → Read More
In their words: Miami Valley residents reflect on fateful day
Many Dayton Daily News readers remember exactly what they were doing when they learned of the terrorist attacks 20 years ago and recall what they did next: check the safety of loved ones and try to make sense of the horror. → Read More
State funding for public libraries bounces back after pandemic dip
State funding that provides more than half the annual revenue for Montgomery County’s largest public library system was down 10% this year due to the pandemic but is on the rebound for next year, according to the county’s Budget Commission that approved the local distributions last week. → Read More
Rally redoubles fight against drug epidemic in shadow of COVID-19 pandemic
Overdose deaths in 2020 were at an all-time high in the U.S., and hundreds of people gathered in downtown Dayton on Sunday to help re-energize the community’s efforts in the battle against an unrelenting epidemic of drug misuse. → Read More
Outgoing county treasurer announces new paid parental leave extending 12 weeks
Two weeks before relinquishing his seat, Montgomery County’s treasurer has implemented a new parental leave policy for the office that is quadruple the time many other county workers get when they have a newborn or adopt a child. → Read More
More pets in need of fostering due to housing instability
The number of stray and owner-surrendered pets — many due to housing instability — has soared at the SICSA Pet Adoption and Wellness Center and the shelter is steeling itself for more as an extended evictions moratorium is set to expire in October. → Read More
$10M to jumpstart major Dayton Convention Center renovations
The board overseeing the Dayton Convention Center has approved issuing up to $10 million in revenue bonds to begin making major facility improvements. → Read More
Public hearing Tuesday for dumping fees increase proposal
Customers who dump refuse at the Montgomery County Solid Waste District Transfer and Recycling Facility can comment at a public hearing Tuesday before county commissioners vote on a proposal to raise fees. → Read More
Opioid settlement: $800B Ohio plan skirts collapse
On the verge of collapse last week, a plan for Ohio’s cities, counties, townships and villages to collectively pursue part of a $21 billion national opioid settlement has been shored up with enough of the state’s political subdivisions now signed up for the effort. But two holdouts could still lower the amount local jurisdictions ultimately receive. → Read More
Infrastructure bill: Ohio set to get more than $11 billion; what could it do?
At nearly $1 trillion, the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed last week by the Senate could bring more than $11 billion to Ohio to rebuild roads and bridges, modernize the electric grid and public water systems, and boost broadband access for rural and low-income families. → Read More
Local governments lining up for share of $21B opioid crisis settlement
Area counties and cities are lining up before a Friday deadline to receive a slice of a $21 billion national legal settlement with three big pharmaceutical distributors blamed for contributing to the country’s opioid crisis. → Read More
New rates proposed for county waste station
Customers who dump refuse at the Montgomery County Solid Waste District Transfer and Recycling Facility can weigh in at public hearing this month before county commissioners vote on a proposal to raise tipping fees, which would jump nearly 50% for users from surrounding counties. → Read More
Pandemic brings another chance for Ohioans to dispute property tax values
A special one-time COVID-19 Board of Revision complaint program is most likely to benefit commercial properties that lost income during the pandemic, according to Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith. → Read More
Flood prevention system leaders to retire
Two Miami Conservancy District leaders are retiring after a combined 69 years at the region’s flood prevention system built a century ago after the catastrophic Great Flood of 1913. → Read More
Lawsuit claims Sinclair Community College violated employee’s speech rights
A Sinclair Community College employee suspended from work for reposting a comment to her personal Facebook account that supports her conservative views has filed a federal lawsuit against the school claiming her free speech rights were violated, according to a court complaint. → Read More
Pandemic job losses: Ohio has ‘quite a ways to go’ to full recovery
With job recovery stalled since November, Ohio added 31,300 jobs in June, including 4,000 in the Dayton region. But it’s too early to tell if the gains signal a rebound that will bring back all the jobs lost in the state since the pandemic began, according to economic experts. → Read More
Infrastructure talks call into question controversial project labor agreements
A national trade group with conservative ties and an area chapter has started a campaign to dissuade legislators from mandating controversial project labor agreements in a sweeping bipartisan infrastructure bill under debate this week, a push that comes after Montgomery County commissioners recently approved a similar agreement with local trade unions. → Read More
Dropping cropland values lift farmers’ bottom lines
The tax value of cropland in Montgomery County has dropped nearly 54% since 2014 because of changes to state law. The lower values normally mean lower property taxes on farmers, raising bottom lines. → Read More